Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

       Back of the book overview: My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

    But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

    Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.


Rating: 10 out of 10

   Where to even beginning with this book! It was fantastic. Although it was another realistic fiction (And those aren't my favorite) I can say that I was totally enraptured by this book. The plot line is fantastic. It's simple and fascinating. It wasn't as sad as I was expecting although I got close to tears a couple of times and I totally was not expecting that ending! The characters in this book are wonderful as well.

   The story is told in the point of view of a girl named Madeline Whittier. When she was little she was diagnosed with a disease called SCID. Basically it's a disease where your immune system doesn't work properly and anything (and everything) can make you sick. She grew up extremely sheltered and has never been outside of her house in her life  (after she was diagnosed). It's just her and her mom and her nurse Carla.
  
   Then Oliver (Olly) moves in right next to her. Olly is immediately portrayed as the bad boy type. Where's all black, disobeys his father... But then him and Maddy start emailing each other. You start to realize that Olly is a nice person but his fathers always drunk and a lot of the time is abusive which is the cause for all the fighting that happens.

   What I love about this book is that the chapters are short. You don't have to have a long attention span to read the book. The chapters range from one sentence to five pages. Often the set-up is different too. Some chapters are emails back and forth, one is done in a spiral pattern, some are schedules or charts or lists. There's pages in-between chapters where she gives a sentence summary of a book she read or she re-defines a word to fit what she's going through. I just love how it's different. I can 100 percent honestly say I've never read anything like it!
  
   The illustrations are also beautiful. I don't normally like a book with pictures but in this case the illustrations definitely helped the book come to life.
   If you haven't read this book you totally should. It's defiantly a must read.

My next review should be up tomorrow!

I'm So Overwhelmed + Books I'm looking Forword to Reading

    I don't know why I ever decided to be in two musicals! My school is putting on this musical called Lucky Stiff. I'm super excited for it because it's funny and hilarious. But I also auditioned for this other musical called The Lady Pirates of Captain Bree... and I got the lead. Not only do I not have any time for homework, I'm not getting enough sleep and I'm super stressed out. Plus the end of quarter is coming soon which means tests and it's stressing me out even more. That's why I haven't been posting frequently. I haven't had any time to be reading. But I promise that I'll finish the book I am currently reading ASAP and get a new post out soon.
    In the meantime I've composed a list of books that I am super excited to read this coming up year!! Can you guys believe that 2016 is almost over!?! The one's that are out are books that I just haven't been able to get a hold of yet but I'm super stoked to read them.


Honorable Mention: Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon

The only reason this book is not on the actual list is because I just checked it out today to read. I want other books to be on my list but I am super hyped to read this book but I probably wont get to it until next year. *tear*

Already out
My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I'm allergic to the world. I don't leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla. But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He's tall, lean, and wearing all black-black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back at him. His name is Olly. Maybe we can't predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I an certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It's almost certainly going to be a disaster.


#11 Long May She Reign by Rhiannon Thomas

Publish Date: February 21, 2017
Freya was never meant be queen. Twenty third in line to the throne, she never dreamed of a life in the palace, and would much rather research in her laboratory than participate in the intrigues of court. However, when an extravagant banquet turns deadly and the king and those closest to him are poisoned, Freya suddenly finds herself on the throne.

Freya may have escaped the massacre, but she is far from safe. The nobles don’t respect her, her councilors want to control her, and with the mystery of who killed the king still unsolved, Freya knows that a single mistake could cost her the kingdom – and her life.

Freya is determined to survive, and that means uncovering the murderers herself. Until then, she can’t trust anyone. Not her advisors. Not the king’s dashing and enigmatic illegitimate son. Not even her own father, who always wanted the best for her, but also wanted more power for himself.

As Freya’s enemies close in and her loyalties are tested, she must decide if she is ready to rule and, if so, how far she is willing to go to keep the crown.


#10 The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett by Chelsea Sedoti

Publish Date: January 3, 2017
Hawthorn wasn’t trying to insert herself into a missing person’s investigation. Or maybe she was. But that’s only because Lizzie Lovett’s disappearance is the one fascinating mystery their sleepy town has ever had. Bad things don’t happen to popular girls like Lizzie Lovett, and Hawthorn is convinced she’ll turn up at any moment—which means the time for speculation is now.

So Hawthorn comes up with her own theory for Lizzie’s disappearance. A theory way too absurd to take seriously…at first. The more Hawthorn talks, the more she believes. And what better way to collect evidence than to immerse herself in Lizzie’s life? Like getting a job at the diner where Lizzie worked and hanging out with Lizzie’s boyfriend. After all, it’s not as if he killed her—or did he?

Told with a unique voice that is both hilarious and heart-wrenching, Hawthorn’s quest for proof may uncover the greatest truth is within herself. 

#9 The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles

Publish Date: January 25, 2017
Every day, Zoe struggles to keep going. The cruel winter took her father’s life and left her angry and brokenhearted. As she carries her little brother through a snowstorm that could kill him in minutes, her only thought is finding shelter. The cabin beyond the woods is far from the place of safety she hoped it would be, but it is there that she meets a man whose muscular body marked with strange and primitive tattoos hints at an extraordinary story. He has the power to light up the lake, and with it, Zoe’s world. 


Zoe calls the stranger X. He is a bounty hunter, tormented by the evils of his victims that course through his veins. X has never felt anything but hate, until he meets Zoe. She shows him what his heart is really for, and if they can find a way to be together, just maybe his pain can help Zoe forget her own.



#8 A Tragic Kind of Wonderful by Eric Lindstrom

I love this cover so much!

Publish Date: December 29, 2016
For sixteen-year-old Mel Hannigan, bipolar disorder makes life unpredictable. Her latest struggle is balancing her growing feelings in a new relationship with her instinct to keep everyone at arm's length. And when a former friend confronts Mel with the truth about the way their relationship ended, deeply buried secrets threaten to come out and upend her shaky equilibrium.

As the walls of Mel's compartmentalized world crumble, she fears the worst--that her friends will abandon her if they learn the truth about what she's been hiding. Can Mel bring herself to risk everything to find out?


#7 The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

I'm dying! I absolutely love this book cover and I'm dying to read this book

Already out
Natasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.
Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.
The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?


#6 Caraval by Stephanie Garber

Publish Date: January 2017
Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their powerful, and cruel, father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the far-away, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.
But this year, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation finally arrives. With the help of a mysterious sailor, Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show. Only, as soon as they arrive, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organizer. It turns out that this season’s Caraval revolves around Tella, and whoever finds her first is the winner.
Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nevertheless becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.

#5 Now I Rise by Kristen White

I read the first book in this series, And I Darken, as a Netgalley ARC and now I'm stoked to read the second book. I have to admit that it's not my favorite series in the world but I definitely want to know what happens next.

Publish Date: June 27, 2017
Lada Dracul has no allies. No throne. All she has is what she’s always had: herself. After failing to secure the Wallachian throne, Lada is out to punish anyone who dares to cross her blood-strewn path. Filled with a white-hot rage, she storms the countryside with her men, accompanied by her childhood friend Bogdan, terrorizing the land. But brute force isn’t getting Lada what she wants. And thinking of Mehmed brings little comfort to her thorny heart. There’s no time to wonder whether he still thinks about her, even loves her. She left him before he could leave her.

What Lada needs is her younger brother Radu’s subtlety and skill. But Mehmed has sent him to Constantinople—and it’s no diplomatic mission. Mehmed wants control of the city, and Radu has earned an unwanted place as a double-crossing spy behind enemy lines. Radu longs for his sister’s fierce confidence—but for the first time in his life, he rejects her unexpected plea for help. Torn between loyalties to faith, to the Ottomans, and to Mehmed, he knows he owes Lada nothing. If she dies, he could never forgive himself—but if he fails in Constantinople, will Mehmed ever forgive him?

As nations fall around them, the Dracul siblings must decide: what will they sacrifice to fulfill their destinies? Empires will topple, thrones will be won . . . and souls will be lost.


#4 Girl Out of Water by Laura Silverman

I have this book as an ARC from Netgalley and is defiantly a book that I'm over the moon excited I get to read (even though it's realistic fiction.) 

Publish Date: May 1, 2017
Ocean breeze in her hair and sand between her toes, Anise can't wait to spend the summer before her senior year surfing and hanging out on the beach with friends. Santa Cruz is more than her home-it's her heart. But when her aunt, a single mother, is in a serious car accident, Anise must say goodbye to California to help care for her three young cousins.
Landlocked Nebraska is the last place Anise wants to be. Sure, she loves her family, but it's hard to put her past behind her when she's living in the childhood house of the mother who abandoned her. And with every Instagram post, her friends back home feel further away.
Then she meets Lincoln, a charismatic, one-armed skater who challenges her to swap her surfboard for a skateboard. Because sometimes the only way to find your footing is to let go.




The Problem With Forever by Jennifer Armentrout

The description of this book makes my heart pound!

Already out
For some people, silence is a weapon. For Mallory “Mouse” Dodge, it’s a shield. Growing up, she learned that the best way to survive was to say nothing. And even though it’s been four years since her nightmare ended, she’s beginning to worry that the fear that holds her back will last a lifetime.

Now, after years of homeschooling with loving adoptive parents, Mallory must face a new milestone—spending her senior year at public high school. But of all the terrifying and exhilarating scenarios she’s imagined, there’s one she never dreamed of—that she’d run into Rider Stark, the friend and protector she hasn’t seen since childhood, on her very first day.

It doesn’t take long for Mallory to realize that the connection she shared with Rider never really faded. Yet the deeper their bond grows, the more it becomes apparent that she’s not the only one grappling with the lingering scars from the past. And as she watches Rider’s life spiral out of control, Mallory faces a choice between staying silent and speaking out—for the people she loves, the life she wants, and the truths that need to be heard.


A Shadow Bright and Burning by Jessica Cluess

I've heard nothing but good thing about this book. I'm excited to see for myself if what everyone else is saying is true about this book.

Already out
I am Henrietta Howel. The first female sorcerer. The prophesied one. Or am I?

Henrietta Howel can burst into flames. When she is brought to London to train with Her Majesty's sorcerers, she meets her fellow sorcerer trainees, young men eager to test her powers and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her. As Henrietta discovers the secrets hiding behind the glamour of sorcerer life, she begins to doubt that she's the true prophesied one. With battle looming, how much will she risk to save the city--and the one she loves?



And #1 is...

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

I got this book as an ARC on Netgalley and I'm thrilled to read this book. The cover alone makes me want to get my hands on this book. The description...OMG I can't even! This book actually reminds me of another book I read that I didn't like. Hopefully this one will live up to it's hype!

Publish Date: March 7, 2017
Let me be clear: I never intended to raise my brother from his grave, though he may claim otherwise. If there’s anything I’ve learned from him in the years since, it’s that the dead hide truths as well as the living.
When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she’s a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training.

In her new home, Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha—one who can wield elemental magic. But dark forces are approaching quickly, and in the face of danger, Tea will have to overcome her obstacles…and make a powerful choice.


There's so many good books that are coming out next year (or have already come out.) I'm gearing up to post a book review soon, but like I said I'm really busy. My first post of the new year will be my favorite reads from 2016!

-Over and Out

The Homecoming by Stacie Ramey

They say you can never go home again-and John's about to find out just how true that is.
    John's mother kicked him out of the house when she couldn't handle his anger, and John's spent the last few years bouncing between relatives. But after his last scrape with the law, there's nowhere for him to go but home.
    Starting senior year at a new high school and fitting into the family that shut him out is a challenge. And it's all that John can do to keep from turning back to bad habits. Lacrosse helps him focus. As does Emily, the girl next door. She's sweet and smart- and makes him think his heart may finally be healing. Maybe he's ready to trust again. But tragedy has a way of finding John...and this time, it's more than just his future on the line.
    
  10 out of 10
 I have to be honest, realistic stuff isn't my favorite. I prefer fantasy, it gets me out of my own head, out of worldly problems. BUT I love this book.  This book caught my attention on NetGalley because the cover is absolutely gorgeous. I clicked on the book I loved the description.
   This book is filled with so many different things. Romance, suspense, family, hurt/comfort. This book hits on a lot of real subjects. Car accidents, mental illness, family issues, suicide, depression, drug and alcohol. It's definitely not a book for the faint of heart.
   One of my favorite things about this book is that even though it's a very deep emotional book, there's still happy moments. The author does a wonderful job of incorporating humor into this book. The characters are well developed, they all have backstories and a past that eat away at them. No one in the story is burden free.
   The entire story line is amazing. The author only gives you bits and pieces of information at a time until the end when all is revealed. It makes you crave more because you want to know what happened. I like to call that Using the Past to Pull You Into the Future. You want to know what happened in the past but the narator isn't going to tell you right away. It's one of my favorite tactics used by authors, but it also frusterates me because you have to keep waiting to know what happens/happened.
   This is definatly one of the best realistic novels I have ever read.
I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this book.

Lion King Tour

I know it's not a book but I got to see the Lion King Gazelle Tour Sunday night and I'm so happy!

 

 

This show was amazing! The costumes were spectacular, the music was great and I have to say I love the plot of the Lion King.

 

I loved the young Nala and Simba and here is a picture of both the actors that play them. I got to see Meilani  Cisneros (far left) as young Nala and Julian Rivera-Summerville (middle left) as the young Simba. At least I'm pretty sure... I could be wrong I was sitting in the very back but I'm light 89.9% sure. The other young Nala is played by Savanna Fleisher and young Simba by B.J Covington.

 

 

 

They also had amazing actors play Pumbaa and Timon. Ben Lupitz, who plays Pumbaa, has been doing Lion King for a very long time. Over 5,000 shows! And Nick Cordileone, Timon, is so great at what he does.

They also have Rafiki, the monkey. Believe it or not Buyi Zama, Rafiki, is actually a woman whereas Rafiki is a boy in the movie. But she does an amazing job. She definitely has the voice for the part.

There is also Scar, played by Mark Campbell one of the few white men in this mainly African cast (because it's Lion King and takes place in Africa).

Mufasa, played by Gerald Ramsey.

 

The three hyenas Banzie, Shenzi, and Ed. Played by Keith Bennet, Tiffany Hobbs, and Robbie Swift.

 

Zazu, played by Drew Hirshfield, who is so funny!

And last but certainly not least older Simba and Nala, played by Aaron Nelson and Nia Holloway.

 

 

 

 

 

The also have a lot of songs, my favorite include They Live in You (top)/ He Lives in You (bottom).

 

 

 

And some of the classics like I Just Can't Wait to be King, sung by Young Nala and Simba and Zazu.

And Hakuna Matata, sung by Pumbaa, Timon and the young Simba but shows the time change in entering Older Simba.

And what musical would be complete without a little romance. Can You Feel the Love Tonight is an amazing song sung by Timon, Pumbaa, Older Nala and Simba and the ensemble.

And the villain song? Defiantly Scars Be Prepared.

 

 

This show was amazing and well worth the money. I would go see it again in a heartbeat. The cast was absolutely amazing!

 

As one last fun fact... Young Simba has more stage time then any other character!

 

Next review will be on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban!

 

Review, Comments and Follows are all appreciated!

It's All Fun and Games by Dave Barrett

I just want to say a quick thanks to the publisher for allowing me to read this book off of NetGalley.

This was an amazing book.

 I have to admit it started a little slow. I'm not into the whole L.A.R.P thing so I was skeptical about reading this book. I started this book three different times. The first 30% of the book was a struggle to get through. The prologue was amazing and really pulled you in but it dropped from like eight to three going from the prologue to the first chapter.
The first 30% was slow and basically was background information that took way to long to get through. When we finally get past the slow beginning things jump fast. The book went from one to ten in three sentences, and while the huge jump was amazing and completely left my head spinning it slowed down again after that. We had this amazing moment where the intensity was really high then a dull moment.
When things finally picked up again it was more climactic and not in an anti-climactic way. Although it was dull at parts it was  good book and I enjoyed reading it. I really hope there is going to be another book.


Now the characters. I really liked the characters. Allison, the main character, was amazing. Even without any training she completely kicked bad guy butt (at least tried to.) The other characters were also pretty cool. Unlike most books with a good number of characters the characters in this book were easy to keep strait, names and powers/abilities. The characters although had very minimal reaction and emotion when they found out what kind of predicament they were in. It would have made sense for at least one of them to break down a little or cry, but they had very minimal emotion through the whole book.

Now, one thing I personally didn't like was the ending. It may be just me but I love cliff hangers in book series and even though the story is obviously not over the ending was, I'm going to use the word again, dull. It was a plain ending. At least with cliff hangers they leave you dying to get your hands on the next book, and I do want the next book, but it's not the same feeling.

Overall, I would defiantly recommend this book for people who can tough it out through slow areas but this defiantly not the type of book for people easily bored or distracted unless you're into L.A.R.P then the beginning would make more sense and be less boring. And even if you aren't into L.A.R.P you might still like this book, like I did, it just takes patience.

This book is now available for purchase as of August 2nd.

Reawakened and Recreated by Colleen Houck

 

Let me start by saying that I love this author. The Tigers Curse is one of my all time favorite book series and now she's written another incredible story. I got Recreated before it comes out August 2, 2016.
Rating: 9.75
Okay, the story follows a girl named Lily, she's rich but smart, she's not snobby, she's supper nice and her parents are super uptight and don't let her make her own decisions.
She's at the museum, one of her favorite places, when new Egyptian stuff is shipped in. While there she meets a boy named Amon, an Egyptian prince who has just awoken from mummification, who kinda freaks her out. He follows her around and ultimately tells her that they need to go to Egypt together. He says he needs to awaken his brothers and preform a ritual to save mankind. Lily never thought anything exciting would happen to her but wished it would, but now that she has to travel with this sun prince to stop the god of chaos Seth, she thinks that maybe her life got a little to exciting. Even worse she starts to fall for the handsome sun prince, who is destined for something else. Instead of star-crossed lovers their god-crossed lovers... Get it... Instead of the stars deciding their fate the gods do... Okay, bad joke. But this book really is amazing.
Lets break down the characters.
Lillian Young (Lily): In the book summary it had a little about her. She's pampered and HATES it. She's nice and kind and smart. She's an amazingly well developed character. She's different then a lot of heroines.
Amon: Sun Prince. Nice and kind. He loves with his whole heart (I made a joke but you have to read the book to get it bc I don't want to give anything away.) He's loyal and brave. He accepts his fate, but with questions and contemplation. What else... Oh! He's the best character in the whole book! He never thinks of his want or desires, but of the greater good, Lily and his brothers.
Asten and Ahmose:  Amons brothers. They are in the second book more then the first. Like Amon they are loyal to each other and accept their fate. They are amazing characters as well. They are protective not only of each other but over their brothers... Not girlfriend but not just friend... The relationship is complicated... Over Lily, who they only just met.
SECOND BOOK CHARACTERS
Tia: Loyal but seems to take over at the worst of times.
Anubis: God of "death." Actually pretty nice for the god of something so morbid.

Ok plot.
Let me just say OMG. The idea of it is so amazing. It's romance, adventure, mythology. All my favorite things. There were some slow parts in the second book that took me a while to get through but once things sped up I couldn't stop reading.
The main idea still isn't clear because the only characters who know everything refuse to give the information up. It's kinda like Percy Jackson where the books have different plots but lead into the overall plot that's revealed towards the end. Individual plots leading up to something bigger. This only makes me long harder for the next book!
 There's new things discovered around every corner. It can get a little confusing but then when things start clicking into place it's amazing the feeling that comes with it. When new revelations are made it's like a spark went off.

I really recommend this book, and author. It's an amazing book with a little bit of everything in it.